Anti-jewish Article of Canadian Member of Parliament Evokes Anger

Demands mounted today here and in many other sections of Canada for the resignation from Parliament of Gilles Gregoire, newly-elected president of a separatist organization, Ralliement National, which issues a monthly newspaper that has been printing anti-Semitic articles. Among those who have demanded M. Gregoire’s resignation for a variety of reasons, are Heward Grafftey, a Conservative member of Parliament; and Robert Thompson, leader of the National Social Credit Party.

In its latest issue, the Ralliement National’s monthly, La Nation, ran an article under the headline “The Jews Flout Quebec.” That article declared: “The Quebec population must know this: Each year, Quebec Jews send millions of dollars to the State of Israel to help develop this new Jewish country. But the same Jews do not give a cent for the development of Quebec.”

La Nation has also attacked the Canadian Jewish Congress for its “refusal to recognize the French-Canadian nation,” and has attacked “Socialist Jews” for backing members of Parliament who are anti-separatist. M. Gregoire, who represents his party from the riding of Lapointe, brushed aside charges of anti-Semitism and said today that he will not heed requests that he resign from Parliament. “I got my mandate,” he said, “from the electors of Lapointe. They are behind me. I have no intention of resigning.”

CANADIAN JEWISH CONGRESS CONDEMNS ARTICLE AS ‘SMEAR’

Saul Hayes, executive vice-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, issued a statement that “the August issue of La Nation, official organ of the Ralliement National Party and distributed at its Victorisville meeting last weekend, charging the Jews of Quebec with monetary assistance to Israel to the neglect of their own province, must have been born out of ignorance or malice. The Jewish community has a record too good to require that it be on the defensive and too lustrous to be tarnished by canards. Moreover, it is an open book for all to examine.

“It is too bad, indeed, in Quebec’s political life, that a party seeking the public support has to resort to shabby tactics. It is to the credit of some of the very top leadership of Social Credit, particularly the late Solon Low, Robert Thompson and Premiers Manning and Bennett, that they have publicly denounced anti-Semitic elements in their parties and abhorred the use of anti-Semitism in their political ambitions.

“The Jewish community in this province is over 200 years old and has helped in Quebec’s development in all forms of activity — economic, industrial, cultural and philanthropic. Its own welfare and medical services are open to all. Jews have prayed for centuries for the establishment of a homeland, and this generation has been blessed with the opportunity to assist in building it. It taxes itself to do so, over and above its fundamental commitments to the interests of the province.”

“Instead of complimenting the Jewish community for this humanitarian activity and its fidelity to a heritage, La Nation chooses to smear,” Mr. Hayes declared. “This is mischievous and pernicious. But Jews will not be deterred from doing their duty to Canada, to Quebec and to Montreal, and to all forms of international humanitarian enterprises they choose to support.”